Blog Archives

All the convent sisters continue to work on preparations for Spirit of America Band’s participation in the Dubai workshops at the end of this month. Whether or not they play an instrument or are even going on the trip themselves every sister is very involved and supportive of the endeavor in whatever way they are able to contribute.

Last week the emphasis was on sewing. All who could helped with the job of fitting, altering and adjusting each uniform. This week when the participants from all over the country come together for rehearsal, we will be feeding about 200 people for the entire weekend; so much help will be needed in Paraclete House Kitchen. One of the meals that has hit the spot with most of the group and received a lot of praise is this hearty beef stew that not only provides them with needed energy but also satisfies their taste buds in a special way.

Who isn’t attracted to a brand new bright colored cookbook with
gorgeous photos even if you aren’t a cook? However, my experience
has been that some of my best recipes have come from old and often
unattractive sources. This was the case with this simple but
delectable dish I had made to take to Thanksgiving Dinner.

A while ago while waiting to meet with someone in our retreat kitchen
I glanced through a faded well worn beige and black spiral bound
old favorite church cookbook. At the bottom of one page I spied a recipe for
onion pie. There was no story accompanying it, no explanations….
just these handwritten words sprawled across the margin “Out of this world”.
That was enough to hook me and pull me in. And I was not sorry.
It was one of the best decisions I’d made in a long time as everyone
at the dinner agreed.

This “easy as pie” dish is so well worth considering for the holiday
season whether its offered as an interesting side to a main meal, alone as a
light lunch, or a special dish to take to a Christmas buffet, all who try it will
agree that it is indeed “Out of this world”. You might even want to consider
giving it to a busy friend who comes home tired with little time to prepare a
dinner from scratch. It could be a much appreciated Christmas gift.

What is it about sandwiches that make so many people so happy? It seems to me that the very same food served on a plate often gets less positive response than it does in a bun, on a roll, or even on a loaf of bread, as it was last night at the convent.Chicken salad was on the menu for our dinner and the cook of the day chose to serve it as a hot open faced sandwich, which surprised everyone. She sliced loaves of Italian bread lengthwise, placed a layer of chicken salad on each, topped them with grated cheese and melted them under the broiler for a few minutes. When they came out they were met with exclamations of “WOW, FANTASTIC, WHAT FUN!”

Because the meal was an informal picnic type, the loaf was served whole, allowing each person to decide what size piece they wanted cut for them. For a more refined touch it can be sliced in diagonal pieces and plated, and still be a sandwich!

We are still picking kale and digging up parsnips in our garden, and both are tasting so so good. From the garden straight to the stove….how much fresher could you ask for your vegetables to be, and what could taste better with these wonderful vegetables than a nice plump whole roasted chicken smothered with herbs and filled with your favorite stuffing? It seems we can never have this too often at the convent.

Most people seem to be sold on roasted vegetables these days and they are great. But to me the magic key to making them better than ever, is to roast them together with the meat or poultry with which they are being served.